1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to jewelry clasps for chains, neck chains, bracelets and the like, and more particularly to a jewelry clasp having solderless slip-on connection means for attachment of the clasp to the outermost links of a chain.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
The inventive connection means may preferably be used with jewelry clasps of the type which include a hollow female clasp member adapted to be penetrated, through a slotted wall, by a male clasp member provided with a detent which is collapsible to permit passage through the slotted wall. Once inside a female clasp member, the male member re-expands so as to engage the slotted wall on its interior and thereby prevent disassembly of the members. Such a jewelry clasp is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,809 which is assigned to the Assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. This patent also discloses means for re-collapsing the detent by external manipulation so as to permit separation of the male and female clasp members when desired.
Jewelry clasps employing releasably locking male and female clasp members are operationally quite efficient, but do suffer from certain disadvantages. Typically, a connection ring, formed at the distal ends of the male and female clasp members, is soldered to the outermost link of a chain intended to be looped and fastened around the wrist or neck of a wearer. When soldering this connection ring onto the terminal link of the jewerly chain, solder generally flows out over several links at the end of the chain causing these links to be soldered together into a stiff unit. This phenomenon is particularly apt to occur with thin chains where capillary forces tend to cause more than one link to be soldered.
There are further difficulties in providing local soldering to chains of small dimensions. For example, if a connection ring must be soldered to the end of a chain which has been ground and polished, at least the end portion of the chain will be heated which tarnishes the surface of the chain. These disadvantages are compounded if the chain has to be shortened since this is only possible by cutting the chain and then once again soldering the jumpring or, where possible, the outermost link of the chain on a new connection ring.
Aesthetic features constitute major considerations in jewelry. The above-noted problems, associated with the soldering of the terminal link of a jewelry band to a connection ring, oftentimes detracts from the appearance of a jewelry piece.
The prior art illustrates attempts at overcoming the above drawbacks such as WAHLBECK, U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,627, which discloses a pendant jewel chain in which it is possible to avoid a soldering of the end links of the chain to a spring ring or similar clasp means. Connection means are included which are formed from a relatively large control mark loop and a connection ring connected with the control mark loop. The outermost loop of the chain is hooked onto the connection ring which may be easily opened and closed. Although the arrangement eliminates many of the above-noted problems, the connection ring must be opened so that the outermost link of the chain may be hooked on whereupon the connection ring is closed to complete the attachment. Because the opening of the connection ring for the hooking on of the chain is affected by bending the branches of the connection ring to opposite sides in a plane at right angles to the body of the connection means, the connection ring undergoes metal fatigue and should this process be repeated several times, the connection ring is subject to weakening which affects the integrity of the connection arrangement. Additionally, the connection means disclosed by the WAHLBECK patent are not fixedly attached to the spring ring; but rather, are free to move with respect thereto. Thus, during the connection of the terminal links of a jewelry band or chain, difficulty is encountered in attempting to manipulate the various moving parts, particularly due to the diminutive sizes of the terminal chain links and connection means.